Fraud and wow...I'm disappointed.

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in home health, hospice, clinic, telemetry.

I'm heartbroken today. I have been made aware with evidence of a fellow RN committing fraud. This fraud is the type of making up notes without actually seeing the patient. Not sure what else to say about this other than I feel sorry for her, ****** off, heartbroken and really disappointed. I expected more and better from her. Oh and she has been a nurse for 27 yrs. I looked forward to learning from her. Well, that won't be happening. She has screwed over her patients, my patients, agency and just all out is a huge disappointment.

:: Sigh :: Anyone else ever encounter this??? If so, what did you do and what can I do for her. I don't believe in making excuses for her but there must be a reason for this type of behavior.

I think I'm just ranting now. Thanks for reading.

AK

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

There's nothing wrong with ranting.

Now that that's done - remember the nurse practice act and nurse ethics and report her. You are charged with protecting your patients - even from nurses. I am so sorry for your loss - and yes it is a loss. I hope you don't internalize this and realize that you will find another mentor. It might be a while to put her back into the friend category - but it may happen.

Good luck.

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Specializes in home health, hospice, clinic, telemetry.
There's nothing wrong with ranting.

Now that that's done - remember the nurse practice act and nurse ethics and report her. You are charged with protecting your patients - even from nurses. I am so sorry for your loss - and yes it is a loss. I hope you don't internalize this and realize that you will find another mentor. It might be a while to put her back into the friend category - but it may happen.

Good luck.

Thank you so much for commenting and reading my post. You really summed up what I"m feeling. She has been reported and now it is just done. How very sad and something that shouldn't have happened. GRRR!!! Thanks again so much.

AK

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

This type of fraud happens sometimes in hospice and home care when nurses get lazy and complacent...

There is not much you can do for her...but it is a reminder to take care of yourself as a nurse.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Sorry--- it is disappointing, and if it comes from someone "you thought you knew", so to speak, sometimes we question our own judgement! As in, I would ask myself, "were there any signs that I could have or should have noticed before things reached the stage they did?"

Intellectually, I know hindsight is 20/20, but it's still hard to watch. Even knowing our first duty is to protect the patient, I hope she gets the help she needs, because I'm getting the feeling this was the result of her being overwhelmed and not malicious. ((hugs)) to you. :)

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

I have seen this a few times over the years in home health. It nearly always surprises me that the nurses thought no one would ever catch on. Sometimes it's entire visits, sometimes it's a 'drive-by visit' charted as 45 minutes.

This is NO reflection on you at all. Give yourself permission to grieve this relationship, and the hole in your heart will eventually heal.

Best wishes.

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Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.

I just went through something similar! Such an overwhelming mix of feelings. The fraud I discovered was a client and a nurse in cahoots together blatantly falsifying hours over a substantial period of time. There's totally no excuse for that in my book but I'm so disappointed because I did like this client a lot. It's hard to do but you did the right thing.

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Well, we get all kinds in nursing, just like any other occupation. There are a few bad applies in any barrel, as the saying goes ...

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.

I'm sorry you had to go through this. Join us in the home health forum, if you haven't already.

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Specializes in home health, hospice, clinic, telemetry.

thanks to everyone who took the time to comment. It is sad and I do believe she had her reasons. I also don't think she was doing this to be ugly in anyway but yes...maybe overwhelmed. I have pulled for her to keep her job WITH frequent monitoring for a time. I think if she is willing to admit her part and make personal changes then why not a 2nd chance. However, i'm not the "powers to be" but we shall see. Thanks again to all of ya'll!!

AK

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I have encountered this on more than one occasion. In one instance the individual was already in a new job before the DOCS could fire her. If a person becomes aware of the fraud and fails to report it, then they can also be accused of complicity. Check on "fraud, waste, and abuse" laws and your responsibility to report. This type of fraud is occasionally discussed in the home health forum. It happens often enough to be of interest to those in the field.

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Yikes!

Sad to say that in a situation like this, I prefer to use my head and not my heart.

Situations like this require some logical thought and analysis to gain an objective view of the situation.

Hopefully, this person did not entangle you in her web of fraud.

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